Improvement in knitting machines



4 Sheets-Sheet 1,

A. O. CAREY. KNITTING MAGHINE.

No. 67,263. Patented July 30, 1867.

4 Sheets8heet 2.

A.C.CAB,EY KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 67,263. Patented July 30, 1867.

4 SheetsSheet- 4.

A.0.'0ARBY.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 67,268. Patented July 30, 1867.

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AUGUSTUS C. CAREY, OF 'MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO 'HIM- SELF AND HUGH K. MOORE, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 67,263, dated July 30, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING MAGH INES.

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TO ALL WHOM IT-.M,AY CONCERN: I

Beit known that I, AUGUSTUS C. CAREY, of Maiden, an the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementslin Jacquard Looms'for'Knittin 'g Stockings and Similar-Shaped Articles; and I do hereby declare-the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to' the accompanying drawingsmaking a part oi this specification, in -1vhioh Figure I represents atop view of the 100m or knitting machine.

Figure 2 represents an elevation from one of, the ends thereof.

Figure 3 represents an elevation from one of the sides of the machine.

Figure '4 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the machine, and showing theuncut portions in elevation.

Similarlctters of retercnce, where they occur in the several separate figures, denote like-parts of the loom or knitting machine in all-the drawings.

My invention consists,- that, in theuse of .revolvingnnd vibrating jacquard pattern cylinders, in combination with sliding needles, on a straight frame, for the purpose of knittingirregular tubular work.

And my invention further consists in combining and operating, in connection with two rows of needles, two jao'q'n'ard pattern cylindersthnt are at times both thrown forward together, at other tiines thrown forward alternztely, first one and then the other, and 'at' timescease to revolve, as the style or shape of the article that is being knit may require.

, And-my invention further consists in inter-posing wires between the jacquard pattern cylinders, and the needles, by which vires-the needles are operated, and which admit of making the cylinders smalhand operating them without interfering with other working portions of the machine. I

And myinvention-furthe'r consists in the useof nibs or projections on the wires that drive the needles, and

vremote from' their ends, so tha-t the needles in the line of such nibbed wires may be moved forward far enough by the bars in the jacquard to catch and holdthe loops, but not to knit, and thus prevent the making of holes in the knit work. I I I I I I 7 And my invention further consists in the combined use of a pattern-wheel and the jacquards, for operating the;.pawls that actuate the jacquard cylinders. I v I v And my invention further consists in a thread or yarn-"tension regulator, in combination with a knittingloom or machine, which canbe adjusted at any time whilst the machine isin' motion.

To enable others skilled in the art to mak'e' and usemy invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings, first premising that the organization of a machine that will begin a stocking-at the toe, and with a single stitch, (or two, three, or more,) and then automatically widen out to the dimensions of the I foot portion and knit that part, and then widen out and. turn the heel portion and finish that, then begin and I knit theleg portion and finish that-and the stocking, and begin the toe ofthe next stocking, and so on, obvicusly requires great labor and mechanical skill, independent of invention of a marked character, as such a machine, to be useful and valuable, must be siin pleenough in its construction not to become disarranged'in any of its parts, and to produce good merchantable work, and capable of being managed by such labor as is most economically employed in such work, and more thanell, must be-cheap enough in its first cost to succcss- 'fully compete with hand work, \vhich its producfimost rcsemble'sand imitates. Such amachine I have invented,

constructed, and successfully operated. And whilst the machine may be changed, and possihly with advantage, I have shown the elements that niustcon'stitute its success under whatever modifications of construction it may appear.

' The'machine is supported in and upon a suitable-frame, A, containing the necessary boxes, bearings,- sup ports, ways, and guides, for the moving parts, as will be explained hereafter in the course of this'specification. B is a. shaft to which motion may be communicated by steam, water, or any other kind of power, and through which shaft the various. parts of the machine may derive all their movements. Upon the extreme endof this driving-shaft B, and beyond the side frame, there is a crank, G, to which one end of a connecting-rod, D, is

attached; the other end of said rod being attached-to a projecting arm, E, upon a vertical roelr shaft F, supported in the main frame, To the .top of this vertical rock-shaft, F, there .is attached a long arm, G, which extends to and is attached to a bar, H, on the slide I, that carriesithe thread-guide J and the shoes a a that move the needles back after they have been projected by the jacquard cylinders. Upon this same shaft "B, just inside of the crank C, but outside of the frame, there is a sliding double cam, K, arranged by a slot and, spline, so that whilst it always turns with the shaft, it may be moved longitudinally on the shaft to bring into or throw out of action that part of said cam K which has two beats on throws brought into operation for every revolution of the shaft,ior that part Iii which has but a. single ibeat or'throw for every revolution of said shaft as the work beingknit may require. The cam K turns between two upright pivoted a'rms L L, to which arms are respectively connected the bars M M that connect them with the crank-arms N N, fastened on the ends respectively of the rock-shafts O O, and the, pivoted arms L L' are held up to the cams by springs P P to insure-their contact action. On the'rock-shafts O O, respectively,'a're bow-shaped, pieces Q Q, forked at their upper and outer ends, as at b b, fig. 4, so as to take or straddle pins or studs 0 c inthc frames B. R, thatcarry thejacquard cylindcrsS Si, and through these connections the ja cqu airds get their motion to and from the needles or the wires that drive the needlesforward. When the cam with the two beats or throws isworking against the arms L L the jacquards are thrown forward and back'both at the same time' When the single-beat portion of the cam is working in connection with said arms, then the jaeqnards are moved forward and backward alternately, first one and then the other. Upon the shaft 13, between the sides of the main frame, there is a single-beat cam, T, that strikes an arm, U, that is held up against it by a spring, 11, throwing forward said arm by every revolution of said shaft.- On this aim, U, there is apirated dog, V, that is drawn downward by a spring, e, but can'rise on its pivot when it is necessary. This dog, V, every time it is thrown forward, and not otherwise influenced, takes against the ratehet-tethf of the pattern-wheel W, and turns said wheel. The'dog V has a set-screw, g, in it, by which its downward motion is regulated; and on the opposite side of the patternwheel, diametrically from tlic. dog, there is a. weighted pawl or dog-lever; X, that prevents the pattern-wheel from having any back motion. The pattern-wheel W- has two segments, Y Z, upon it, the formerjtbeing what I term the hoe a" segment, and the latter the toe segment, so called because they are actively engaged whilst these portions of the stocking are being knit. The pattern-wheel W, moreover, carries two lifters, h It, which aid the dog 1' to rise up on to the segments Y Z, the feeding-dog V taking into a notch, j, in the ends of these pivoted and weightedlifters; and as the outer surfaces of these lifters are higher or project beyond the perimeter of the pattern-wheel, they give alonger throw than the ratchet-tee'th'on a less diameter would give." The weighted ends of these lifters, beyond their pivoted points, swing them into and out of action at the proper times and places. The dog 2' that is raised and lowered by the heel and toe sections on the pattern whee1 is adjustably' fixed in an arm, is, pivoted to the main frame at Z, and to this arm'k are attached first an upright, i m, that operates a' shipper, n, which shifts the cam K on the shaft B; and secondly, an upright, o, that.through .the pivoted levers p p, raise or lower, as the case maybe, the pawls or. ratchets q 9 that turn the. jacquard cylinders S S. IBut whilst the ra'tchets qq are thrown in and out of action by the mechanism just above described, they are also actuated by wires 1 r, that are moved by the shoes a a on the slide I-through the hinged switches s s and the projectionst t thereon, in one direction, and by the jacquard throughthesa'me wires r r' in the opposite direction. It will thusbo seen that them-oration of the jacquards upon their ax'es whilst they continue to be thrown forward and back by the mechanism above described, is suspended from two distinct. operative sources, viz, by the'sections Y Z on the pattern-wheel W. through the lever 7H 1', and hy th'e wires 1)- v through the shoes on the slide I, through the intervention of the switches a 8 and the jacquards S S, the latter operation being more distinctly shown in the drawing, ,fig. 1. When the single-beat cam K is working, the jacquards S S move alternately; when the two-beat cam K works, both jacquards move up and 'back together. When knitting straight work the jacquards more alternately up and back without revolving on their journals or axes. When knitting the heel portion of the stocking the jacquards are thrown up and back together,-and-' revolve alternately. When knitting the toe portion of the stocking the jacquards throw up' togetherand revolve together when closing up, and then alternately, and throw the needles in and out. The sudden rise u on the toe section Z is to throw up both jacquards once, or more than once. The depression a near the end of tired-reel section Y, is to use any blank that may be left on the jacquard, before'anew stocking is begun. It keeps the jacquard revolving after the change from the double to the. single cam. When the jacquards are not to revolve, the lifting wiresw w, attached to the levers-p p, throw the pawls q out of action( The horizontal wires r rare for special working, viz, for throwing out the perils q when knitting the heel portion of the stocking; and whenever'the pawls q are thrown out of action the jaoquards cease to revolve,.au d are held against any accidentaliturning by the jar and motion given to them by friction springs a: an that bear against them, though a. take-up dog may-be arranged to prevent anyv motion backward.

Of the construction of the jacquard cylinders it is only necessary to mention thnt they are hollow cylinders, with holes and slots'made in-their perimeters which leave bars and uncut spaces between therh, said holes, slots, dnd bars forming the pattern and means of throwing in the needles to knit to a particularform and sha e, and may beclianged, removed, and replaced by others when it is necessary techangmthe form or figure of the article to be knit on the loom. In the centre oftho slide I, and longitudinally of the slide, there is placed a bar-,m g, which is held by friction springs z z to-the slide I, but has a motion imparted to it independent of that it has with th'eslide, or rather a cessation of the motion that the slide'would impart toit if not otherwise restrained, as follows:' The bar y projects beyond the ends of the slide I, being considerably longer than the slide, and to each of the sides of the frame, in the line of the bar there is affixed a spring-stop, 1, against which a projection, 16,- fig. 2, on the under side of the bar alternately strikes and stops, whilst the slide or-cross-head itself moves on and far enough to carry theshoes a a, attached to it, to the end of or a little beyond the end of the rows of needles.

The-thread-guidc iii-arranged on the bar 3 ,nnd has an upwnrdcurved shoe at its lower end, so as to pass over the work without disturbing'it, and for closing downthe latchesof the needles should any 'of them fail to close. The needles 2 are-short, and lie in suitable groovcsor guides, in which they can be freely and truly moved They have nibs 3 on their rear ends, which, projecting upward in their groove or guide, keep their latches iii: proper working position or prevent them from turning out of their right positions. Behind the needles, and in suitable grooves'corresponding to those of the needles, are w-ires4, which project for enough to come within the influence of the jucquiirds, and by means of the h0les, slot's, and-,barsof th'o'ju'cqunrdsthese wires are actuated, and through the wires the needles arom'oved up and back, or remain in the line of tliek-nitting, as the case may be, or us the jucquurds'may be .cut or prepared for in the usual way of moking-jacquurds for such-purpose, viz knitting to pattern. Upon any suitable number, or upon all of the wires 4, there may be near their remote rear ends nibs, 5, which lire or may be used for throwing up the needles for enough to" receive and hold the yarn, but not toknit; the portions of the wires behind these nibs entering holes orslots in the jacquard, by. which means they ar'e'not moved until the nios come against an uncut part of the jacquard, and consequently they do not come up to the knitting line. The object in holding the yornon the needles without allowing those needles to knit is to prevent the making of holes in the work, when someof the needles for the time bein'gceaso to knit, nnd ifterwards begin again to knit, as in nurrowing, widening, or turning a. heel or making a too.

The yarn-guide. and tension is made us'follows: On across-bur, 6, there is arranged a post, 7, which may turn on the bar under a. regulated amount offriction that will hold it at any point or position at which it may .be set. Near the' lower' end of this post there is on crm, 8, with a hdlothrbugh its outer end for the yarn to pass through. At the top of the post 7 there is arranged nniarm, 9, which can be-turned clear around on the post, and in theend of this firm 9 there is circle for the yarn to puss-through. on one of the ways, 10, on which the cross-heed or slide I moves, and in nearly a central position of the muchine, there isnn upright, 11 on the top of which a bow-shaped 'or two-armed piece, 12, is urranged, with o. holein each of its arms for the yarn to pass through,'nnd upon the upright there is a ring, 13, through which the yarn passes, this ring acting as u. felling weight to take upony or all slack in the thread or yarn. The post or upright 1]: is free'to turn in its bottom support or socket 14, so as to'ueeommodnte the yarn to the traversing of the yarn-guide J, through which it finally passesto the needles or knitting line. The yarn, as shown more pur ticuln'rlyin fig. 4, is passed through the hole in the arm 8, 'and may be passed" once or twice around the post 7, or not at all, (as w'ill'bo :exploined;) thence through the-hole in tho turningnrm '9, thence through one of the arms, 12; then through the ring 13, thence through' the other arm 12, and down through the thread-guide J to or within the octio'n of the needles. New, to put more tension on 'to the yarn, it is only necessary to turn the urn] 9: whole or a part of a; revolution, which makes emhole or a part of a turn of the yarn around the post; and to reduce the tension the arm is turned in an opposite direction. p I

Thergencrol operatiouofthe machine is as follows: The stocking is begun at the toe. Bothjacquards and both rowsot needles are thrown forward by the action of the toe section Z on the pattern-wheel, and the double cams K. As soon as the dog 2' drops oil from the high part u of the section Z or segment, the wires 10 being still down, the single cam K is. brought into action by the shipper n, and then thejacquards are thrown up alternately, and have a turning motion on their axes by means of the pawls q, one at n time, and this continues, increasing one or more needles, until the toe is of the proper width. Then the dog i'drops oil from-the toe segment Z, and. the pawls are raised up by the lifting wires w and are out of action. In this condition of theparts the'lnachino will knit straight work until the foot of the stocking is of the proper length. Then the heel segment Y comes around, raises up thelcver k, aud sh ifts the cum K, and drops the lifting wires w, and allows the powls q to take on to the rntchets on the jccquards and to turn them, two teeth on one side and one tooth ,on the other, and vice verso, which is done by the horizontal wires r r moving the pnwls alternatelyout of sud then allowing ,them to go into action. Thehorizontul wires r are moved inono direction by pivoted levers or switches s, overlying the-wires that drive theneedles, said switches beingmoved by an incline on the shoe a on the-cross-head I, which moves the nibon onezof the needles sgoinstthe projection or nib 't on the switches respectively, and are returned by the jncqu'ardorby the weight of the pawl, or both acting together. Before the heel portion of the stocking is'commcnced, or rather the commencement of the heel portion, is the widening out of the foot portion; and the-throwing in and out of the needles is regulated by the jncquards and inclines on the shoes, which are previously arranged for the special shupe form, and size of the stocking to be knit, There are additional needles which do not knit in the foot portion of the stocking, but when thestocking is to bewidened opt, as nt the heel, (or cnlffor leg,) then these additional 'needlesars thrown in by the jncquards. The heel .is formediby' knitting back and forth with a portionof the needles only on .one end of the row, and first on one side nndrthen on the other, and throwing in additionulneedles, according to the for to be p o'- duced, which form. is cut or made in or 'on the jacq'uards, and repeating this back and forth, knitting and throwing in. of additional needles, or knitting a single gore or two'or more, until suificient is knit to form the heel, then cll the ncedlesure thrownin, and the leg or straight work is knit as in the knitting of the foot. -Wheu the heel portion is 'knit the arm .or l'averl, or rather its dog, 2', drops from the segment Y, and the single cam is thrown into action, the liftingwires w are raised, which throws out thepawls q, and the machine goes on to knit the leg portion of the stocki'ng. v

Huving ,thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, isv V 1. The combination of revolving and vibrating jacquard-pattern cylindermwith sliding needles on it straight frame, for the purpose of knitting irregular tubular work, substantially as described. p 2. I alsoclaim combining and arronging in connection with two rows of needles, two jacquardcyl defl; that are at times both thrown forward together; at .o'tlier times thrown forward alternately, first one end then the other, and at times cease to revolve, as the style, shape, or pattern of the article that is being knit may require, substantially as described. r r 3. I also claim, in combination \vithvibrating jacquard cylinders, a.nd with needles in straight rows, the wires interposed betw een the jacquard and the needles, by which the needles are operated from the jacquard, snbstan' tially as and-for the purpose described.

4. I also claim the use of nibs or projections on theirires that are interposed between the jacquard and the needles, and remote from the ends of said wires, so that the needles in the line of such nibbed wires may be moved forward far enough by the jacquard to catch and hold the yarn, but not to knit, and thus prevent the making of holes in the knit work, substantially as described.

5. I also claim the combined use of a pattern-wheel havinga toe and'heel segment thereon, and the jacquards for operating the pawls by which the jacquards are turned on their axes, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described. I I

6. I also claim a yarn-tension, composed ofthearm 8, post 7, turning-arm 9, guides 1'2, and suspended weight or ring 13, arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described.

' I A; C. CAREY.

Witnesses:

A. Brszrou'en'ros, H. K. Moons. 

